AI-generated ads fuel squishy dumplings craze among children

Nearly 200 AI-generated clips promoting squishy dumplings—a stress-ball toy shaped like dumplings—have flooded social media, helping drive a viral trend among children, an investigation by Swedish public broadcaster SVT’s Verifierar and Lilla Aktuellt reveals.

The clips, many featuring identical AI-generated faces, include repeated calls to purchase the product and have been posted across multiple newly created accounts with similar profile images. Some accounts were registered on the same day, though the creators behind the campaign remain unidentified.

Search interest for squishy dumplings in Sweden surged in early March, according to Google Trends, coinciding with the upload of AI clips that have since amassed millions of views.

Retailers report high demand, with all ten toy stores contacted by SVT confirming strong sales. The toy is marketed in a bamboo-steamer-style box, with “unboxing” videos—where children reveal the color of their dumpling—going viral.

Ieva Englund, a brand expert at Novus, warns that AI-generated hype can create a false impression of popularity. “You can make it seem like something is widely loved when, in reality, it might just be 50 fictional accounts rather than 50 real people,” she said.

Children interviewed by SVT expressed skepticism about AI-driven promotion. “It matters whether it’s real or not,” said 11-year-old Delina Isadora Sabaredzovic. “You want to see genuine reactions so you don’t get scammed.”